Ravi Shastri to Continue as Team India Director, Fletcher to Stay Head Coach

Ravi Shastri was appointed as Team India director for the ODI series against England. He will now stay with the team till 2015 ICC World Cup

It was on the cards and the script folded as expected. The BCCI working committee on Friday extended Ravi Shastri's tenure as Team India director till the end of the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Shastri was appointed as director for the ODI series in England last month. Duncan Fletcher will stay as head coach.

The BCCI working committee agreed to extend Shastri's contract after the former Indian all-rounder agreed to continue in his new role in spite of being a busy mediaman. He will start with India's upcoming home series with the West Indies and then travel to Australia later this year and then the World Cup.

"I don't think it would be fair for me to do both," Shastri told Wisden India. "I can't comment on air about a player I'm advising in the dressing room. It's important to have the players' trust, and it wouldn't be fair to the viewers either if I had to be guarded about what I said on air."

The BCCI also decided to extend the contract of the support staff of Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R. Sridhar. The troika was also first appointed for the ODI series in England.  Bangar and Sridhar will be the team's assistant coaches while Sridhar will be the fielding coach.

There was no word on Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney, the bowling and fielding coaches, who were sent on a 'vacation' after India's Test series defeat in England. Dawes and Penney have their contract with BCCI till the end of the World Cup.